Samsung S24 Ultra Camera Settings: What to Change First

Since its launch in January 2024, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has received several One UI updates. It launched with Android 14 and One UI 6.1. From May 2026, Galaxy S24 models started getting One UI 8.5. According to SamMobile, One UI 9 started rolling out on 6 October 2026, with South Korea getting it first.

Some of the camera settings we mention in this article have been moved around or renamed in each of these updates, so we’ll specify the relevant One UI version(s) and let you know the name(s) of the setting(s) in question. Let’s get started!

The settings to change first

Samsung does not currently list a settings page for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, so the One UI 7 and 8 column below is based on Samsung’s support page for the Galaxy S25 series. We have also listed some of the Camera settings we found in One UI 9 on the Galaxy S25 Ultra in November 2026. Some options may be named slightly differently on your phone.

Tap the gear icon in Quick controls (the button with four dots, near the zoom buttons) to open Camera settings. On older versions of One UI, the grid switch might be labelled Grid lines instead. The names of some of the options may vary slightly between versions of One UI too. For example, Samsung’s Galaxy S26 support page (running One UI 8.5) calls the settings Photo enhancer and Photo format. Download Camera Assistant (free) from Samsung’s Galaxy Store. This adds a setting called Crop zoom shortcuts (as per Samsung’s guide from 2024) / Zoom shortcuts (in One UI 9), which will add extra shortcuts (2x, 10x, etc) that crop into the high-resolution sensors. There is no switch that our Camera Assistant guide doesn’t cover.

Choose 12MP, 50MP or 200MP

The Galaxy S24 Ultra uses a 200MP main camera sensor, but saves images with 12MP resolution by default. According to GSMArena’s Galaxy S24 Ultra review, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera sensor groups or “bins” 16 pixels together to form a single pixel when shooting photos with 12MP resolution. SamMobile’s advice for the Galaxy S24 series was to stay on 12MP for most shots. 12MP images are less noisy than photos with higher resolutions, and you can use all cameras when shooting photos with 12MP resolution.

You might want to use higher resolutions (50MP or 200MP) when shooting landscapes or buildings in well-lit conditions, if you plan to crop your photos significantly or print your photos at large sizes. However, according to SamMobile, photos with 50MP or 200MP resolution have worse noise performance in low light conditions and inferior dynamic range compared to photos with 12MP resolution. Also, according to Samsung’s Galaxy S23 series support page (the Galaxy S23 Ultra also uses the same 200MP ISOCELL HP2 sensor as the Galaxy S24 Ultra), it takes about 5 to 6 seconds before you can take another photo after taking a photo with high resolution, and photos with 200MP resolution have large file sizes (around 25 to 30MB). Switch back to 12MP mode if you plan to take photos of moving objects.

Adaptive Pixel (available in Camera Assistant) stitches together multiple photos with lower resolutions to form a photo with higher resolution, resulting in reduced noise in low light conditions according to Samsung. Keep this feature turned on when taking photos with 50MP or 200MP resolution. Our 12MP vs 50MP vs 200MP guide has each setting’s file size and print size.

Grid, level, volume keys and burst

There’s also a Composition guide toggle under General in Camera settings, and on One UI 9 this lets you show a level or 3x3 composition grid (or both). The former can help keep horizons straight or buildings captured head-on nice and level, while the latter can be handy if you’re trying to compose a shot with your main point of interest sitting off-centre.

Also under General, but in the Shooting methods subsection, you can enable Press Volume buttons so that pictures or videos can be captured by pressing one of the volume keys rather than tapping the screen, which is handy for keeping the phone as still as possible, particularly when zoomed in to 5x or 10x. There’s also support for Voice commands (try Cheese or Smile on One UI 9) and a Floating Shutter button.

While we’re on the subject of shooting: on recent versions of One UI, pressing and holding the on-screen shutter button while in Photo mode will record a video, and on One UI 9 there’s a Video recording in Photo mode switch in Camera Assistant to turn this behaviour on or off. You can also capture a burst of images by swiping the shutter button down towards the edge of the screen; on One UI 9 this behaviour can also be tweaked in Camera Assistant, where Swipe Shutter button to edge to should be set to Take burst shot.

Pro mode starting values

Open Pro mode (under More) in the Camera app. Start with these settings, and take a test image. Our S24 Ultra settings page has starting values for a wider variety of cases.

1. 1

   White balance first

   Choose a preset for the type of light you are shooting in: Daylight, Tungsten, etc, or enter a specific temperature (measured in Kelvin). Some good starting points are 5500K for direct sunlight, 6500K for an overcast day and 3200K for typical home lighting. Unlike Auto white balance, a specific setting won't vary from picture to picture.

2. 2

   Shutter speed for the movement

   For tripod shots the longest shutter speed for the S24 Ultra is 30 seconds, perfect for long exposure night photography or silky smooth flowing water. For handheld photography with a static subject, use 1/125s or faster. At 3x and 5x focal lengths use a shutter speed of 1/250s. For sports photography use a shutter speed of 1/500s or faster.

3. 3

   ISO last

   A higher ISO setting will result in a grainier image and loss of fine details. So use as low an ISO as possible and only increase it until you get an adequately bright picture in preview.

4. 4

   Focus for close-ups

   In most cases, you should be able to just tap on your subject to focus. However, if you're shooting food or products, Samsung's Pro mode guide suggests using the manual focus bar (drag it to adjust the focus). With One UI 9, Camera Assistant adds Focus peaking in Pro modes, which highlights in-focus areas with an outline.

Pro mode allows you to save a RAW file along with the JPEG. This can be enabled/disabled via the menu under Advanced picture options (One UI 7/8) or under Photo format > Pro mode picture format (One UI 9).

Expert RAW and 24MP

Expert RAW’s Astrophoto and Multiple exposure modes are limited to 12MP resolution and are found under Special photo options. 24MP images can only be taken in the Expert RAW app, which is available for free in the Galaxy Store, and its supported devices list includes S24 series phones. This app can simultaneously save a 16-bit linear DNG along with a JPEG image, according to Samsung.

It’s worth noting that Expert RAW is the only app where 24MP images can be taken as per GSMArena’s review. In October 2026, SamMobile reported that One UI 9 continues to reserve the conventional 24MP setting for the S26 lineup, meaning that 24MP JPEGs won’t be available in Photo mode. See our Expert RAW guide for how to set things up.

Scene optimizer and Photo Assist

Scene optimizer (called Scene detection under Photo enhancer on One UI 9) tweaks camera settings including exposure and white balance to suit what your camera recognises. According to Samsung this is exclusively for the rear camera. On One UI 9, Samsung describes Scene detection as optimising photos by changing colour and contrast to match the scene. If skin tones or food photography look overly enhanced, you may want to turn this off. Otherwise, it is handy for photos you are looking to quickly post or share. Our Scene optimizer guide shows the switch on each One UI version.

Photo Assist is the Galaxy AI-powered menu you’ll find in Galaxy phones’ Gallery app. Up to One UI 8, it was home to Samsung’s suite of editing tools including Generative edit (according to Samsung, you’ll need to be signed into a Samsung account and connected to the internet to use this feature; edited photos will also be watermarked ‘Galaxy AI’ and saved at a max size of 12MP). As of One UI 8.5 (which according to Samsung’s rollout notice includes the Galaxy S24 series), it’s been revamped to include AI eraser, Move, Create and Style. Our Object Eraser and Photo Assist guide covers each tool.

Video settings

8K @ 30fps and 4K @ up to 120fps is the maximum video quality that you can record on the S24 Ultra (via GSMArena). According to SamMobile, the Pro video mode in One UI 9 has FHD and UHD video recording with 24, 30, 60 and 120fps options. For 8K video, you can choose between 24 and 30fps. For normal videos that you’ll be editing or just playing back on your TV, UHD @ 30fps is the best option. You can also choose 60fps if you think there will be a lot of motion in the video and you might want to create slow motion clips from it later.

If you’re holding the phone while recording (say walking videos), make sure Super Steady is turned on in the Video mode. But don’t enable it if you’re using a tripod. The S24 Ultra still has Super Steady in One UI 9 but it doesn’t get the new Horizontal Lock video stabilisation option that’s available on the S25 series (via SamMobile). Our video settings guide goes further.

Settings mistakes to avoid

• Switch back to 12MP after taking a landscape image at 200MP. Otherwise, you’ll get noisy pictures with slow capture times when taking photos of a running kid.
• Be aware that Scene optimizer doesn’t work on RAW images, and only applies to Photo mode on the rear camera.
• Make sure you’re not shooting outside with an indoor colour temp (Kelvin) in Pro mode. This will result in blue-tinted photos.
• Try using the zoom levels that are denoted (3x, 5x and 10x). You’ll get a true telephoto image or a good crop instead of what you’d get shooting at 4x or 7x.
• Invest in a decent microfiber cloth to clean your lenses instead of using your (probably dirty) shirt. According to our blurry photo guide, smudges and fine scratches haze every photo.